The 5 Items You Need for Perfect Brows

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Navigating the beauty world can be tricky, but we’re here to help. Starter Pack is your guide to the essential products in every category of beauty.

The average eyebrow holds only about 250 hairs, but that doesn’t stop people from obsessing over every puny strand. With the advent of brow bars, brow extensions, and entire brands built around the two strips of hair above your eyes, we are living in a state of eyebrow mania. But what do you actually need to make your brows look full but not fake? Read on for the Cut’s guide to the eyebrow-grooming products you actually need.

A Barbie Brush

100-Pack Spoolies

The most important eyebrow tool is a teeny tiny brush called a spoolie (also known as a mascara wand). With a spoolie, you can comb haggard brows upwards to make them appear neater and more full. Unfortunately, spoolies get clogged with dirt and brow dust after a while, and they are difficult to clean, so you’ll want a cheap 100-pack of the disposable kind.

Miniature Scissors

Anastasia Beverly Hills Scissors.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Scissors

Anastasia’s pointy scissors are slim enough to trim delicate hairs, but sturdy enough that they won’t bend with wear. To use, brush hairs upward with a spoolie first, and then trim the extra long strands at a slight angle, to mimic the hair’s natural growth pattern. Do this before tweezing, and you won’t over-pluck.

A Classic Tweezer

Tweezerman slanted tweezer.

Tweezerman Stainless Steel Slant Tweezer

Tweezerman’s insanely popular slant tweezer has a laser-cut tip that’s just the right length for grasping hairs. The “springiness” of the tool makes it feel comfortable in your hand no matter how much time you spend plucking.

A Hollywood-Approved Pencil

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer

You’re going to need a pencil if you want slightly fuller-looking brows. Anastasia’s easy-to-use Brow Definer has a wedged tip, ensuring that each stroke looks perfectly natural. Use the fat edge to fill in thin brows, and the narrow edge to outline your arches. As with any brow makeup, select a shade that’s a little lighter than the color of your hair; anything darker can get cartoon-y.

A Powder for Both Newbies and Experts

Benefit Foolproof Brow Powder.

Benefit Foolproof Brow Powder

Pencils can provide a certain amount of “brow volume,” but you need a powder for the most natural-looking fullness. Admittedly, powders are a bit intimidating, but Benefit’s Foolproof Brow Powder makes it easy. Each tin is filled with two pressed powders: a light shade and a dark shade. Use the kit’s sponge applicator to brush the lighter shade on the half of the brow that’s closest to the center of your face, and the darker shade for the other half. Because the lightly-pigmented formula is buildable, it’s really hard to make a mistake. Your brows will be in tip-top form in no time at all.